Eclectic Edge Ensemble

I am in the process of finishing up a thesis on the power of art to support adolescents in grief work.  While researching, I came across some interesting findings…

We are all aware of the effects of stress on our bodies.  Holding onto anger, anxiety, guilt, and grief can manifest in disorders such as heart disease, chronic pain, or immune dysfunction.  Art therapist Cathy Malchiodi explains that art has the power to alleviate some of these symptoms.  “The repetitive, self-soothing qualities of painting, drawing, or working with clay may induce the ‘relaxation response,’ a reduction in the heart rate and respiration related to stress reduction.”   Although dance gets the blood pumping, creative activities, such as dance, have the ability to reduce stress, improve blood pressure and respiration, and ultimately improve mood and outlook. This mood enhancing technique has the ability then to increase the capacity to communicate with one another.  Deepak Chopra, M.D, perceives that our creative existences are the most important factor for health and well-being. The evidence from psychological and neurological research is increasingly showing that the arts play a vital role in our ability to problem-solve, think, and remember.  Dance as art, like exercise and eating right, has the power to extend our life spans and stimulate our minds and bodies. What more could we ask for?!

So let me preface this blog entry by stating: “I am not a dancer.” I have been cursed with the life-long illnesses of “klutz-itis” and “graceless-emia”. I dreaded high school dances for fear of making a complete idiot myself by tripping over my own feet, or worse yet—actually being asked to dance by a cute boy and then stepping (or should I say stomping) on his toes. Plus, I always moved so awkwardly that I felt I looked like a hippo on roller skates. Then came my college life where I avoided dances at all costs. Although tragically, my sophomore year I was cast in the chorus of Oklahoma! What a nightmare! I spent many of those rehearsals with ice packs on my ankles or head from being dropped. (To my defense, I believe my partner was just as klutzy as I am.)

So, why is a life-long, non-dancer involved with a dance company, you might ask? I have to admit that it wasn’t until meeting Karis and getting involved with Eclectic Edge Ensemble that I began to truly appreciate the art of dance. While dancing has not been a God-given gift of mine, I still love to watch people dance. I am amazed at how a good dancer can make the most complicated movements look effortless and easy.  In fact, I think it is the truly great dancers that make me think…”well, I can do that.” Even though I very well know that any attempt of that feat on my part would only end in injury or humiliation.

So, while I might not know the difference between a jete and a glissade (yes, I did just have to google “dance terms” to help me with this sentence), I can still appreciate the beauty of dance. This makes me believe that if given the opportunity, everyone can learn this appreciation. And who knows….maybe the next step for me is to try once again to dance in public…but I’m not so sure anyone is ready for that.

Thank you for reading my musings.

Emily Kramer
the “gracefully-challenged” EEE board member



For a long time, I haven’t always had the maturity to truly appreciate other dancers.  Because of the competition mode that is so present in the professional world, I have fought to compare myself to fellow dancers.  This has always been a source of conflict for me because comparison suppresses the beauty in each unique individual (one of them being myself).  But I have been changing my view and finding a much more fulfilling and healthy approach to dance.

There are a lot of dancers in our community, yet each of us are completely unique.  We all have different physical strengths and weaknesses- some with flexible hips, others have strong arms, some are long languid movers and others little powerhouses.  Some of us are articulate educators, others prefer performing and choreographing, and many of us enjoy a combination of all three.  We all have unique experiences that have shaped the movers that we are today.  Within one phrase of choreography, dancers will interpret the movement with different dynamics and style.  Some dancers have comedic tendencies, while others ooze emotion, and some are well trained in postmodern simplicity.  The variety is amazing and essential for this creative art form.

I have wasted too much time wanting what I don’t have.  This does absolutely nothing for me or you. Appreciate the qualities you’ve been given because they are one-of-a-kind.  When you value who you are, you can much more easily value others and their strengths.  Lets continue to praise the creativity and uniqueness in each of our dancing selves. 

On Christmas day, after all the food and family, I went to see the movie The Red Shoes with Becky (a fellow EEE dancer) and some of our friends. It was a nighttime showing at the Trylon Microcinema, a great little independent movie theater in south Mpls. I knew the movie was from the 1940's so I was preparing myself to be a little bored, but to my surprise it turned out to be one of the best movies I've ever seen about dance.

The plot revolves around a ballet company, modeled after the Ballet Russe (Leonide Massine is even in the movie). The company is performing and touring the ballet The Red Shoes. The Red Shoes was originally a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale about a girl who dances herself to destruction, and that theme is sort of played out in the life of the prima ballerina in this film. Martin Scorsese has rated it as one of his all time favorites, and so he recently paid to have the film restored. I got to see the restored version, and it's amazing because even though it's from 1948 you can practically see the pores on the actor's faces.  I just added it to my netflix queue to watch over again. Check it out!

Katrina Schleisman

I wanted to just take a bit of space on this blog to mention the many friendships I have acquired during the 4 years I have been dancing with EEE.  The amount of amazing people I have met and developed friendships with through rehearsals and shows has been priceless.  When I first started dancing with Karis, I was fortunate to work with my then acquaintance Katrina (below-left, with me) , and during that first few months we became very close friends.  I now consider her one of my best friends.

 It is so easy to become close with each other while dancing in this company.  Karis creates an atmosphere of fun, compassion and togetherness that really fosters this type of relationship development, and I think it is one of the things that we all cherish.  I just wanted to mention this because all the lovely ladies of EEE are amazing and I want to thank you all for your friendship!

Becky Olson